(a) The California Indian Heritage Center Task Force is hereby created within the department. The task force shall be convened by the department on or before February 1, 2003.

(b) The task force shall consist of 9 voting members, appointed as follows:

(1) Three members from separate California Indian tribes, appointed by the director. Each member shall reside in California at the time of appointment. The director shall consider geographic and cultural diversity when making the appointments.

(2) Two members from California Indian tribes shall be appointed by the Executive Secretary of the Native American Heritage Commission. In making these appointments, the executive secretary shall select those individuals who have demonstrated an expertise in any of the following areas:

(A) American Indian education.

(B) California Indian arts, culture, and language.

(C) California Indian history.

(3) One member shall be the director or his or her designee. This member shall serve as the executive secretary of the task force and coordinate work product and assistance with the department.

(4) One member shall be the Executive Secretary of the Native American Heritage Commission or his or her designee.

(5) One member shall be the State Librarian or his or her designee.

(6) One member shall be the Secretary of the Resources Agency or his or her designee.

(c) The task force shall elect a chairperson and determine the term of office of the chairperson by majority vote.

(d) Members of the task force may not receive any state compensation for their services or be reimbursed for travel or per diem expenses.

(e) The duties and responsibilities of the task force shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Making recommendations to the department on the potential siting of the heritage center. Every effort shall be made to site the heritage center within proximity of other cultural and historical facilities. The siting recommendations shall also take into consideration the public accessibility of the facility. A task force report on the potential sites for the heritage center shall be delivered to the department no later than one year after the task force is convened.

(2) Advising and making recommendations to the department on the cultural concepts and designs of the heritage center.

(3) Establishing and maintaining communication between tribes, museums, and local, state, and federal agencies.

(4) Requesting and utilizing the advice and services of tribes, museums, and local, state, and federal agencies as needed to carry out the objectives of this chapter.

(5) Developing and recommending to the department a governing structure for the ongoing operation of the heritage center.

(6) Preparing and submitting to the Legislature an annual report detailing the task force’s activities and progress towards establishing the heritage center.

(f) The task force’s responsibilities shall be complete and its duties discharged when the heritage center is completed and the department has adopted a governing structure for the completed heritage center. The director may terminate the task force prior to that time, but only if the director obtains approval from two-thirds of the task force members.

(g) The department shall make every effort to encourage nonstate participation and partnerships in the development and construction of the heritage center.

(Added by renumbering Section 5097.994 by Stats. 2004, Ch. 286, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2005.)